White Walls
by pendulous threads
Summary: SasuSaku. Sakura has the same routine everyday. But one day she wakes up, finding that she slept with her co-worker that she hardly knows, and doesn't want to know. But she finds herself falling for him, and unbeknownst to her, he is falling for her too.
1. Chapter 1

Hello, I decided to try and write a SasuSaku story. First of all, in this story, they are not ninja. They are just adults in the real world with a job and real life problems. This story is rated T because there is mild language and sexual references, but there will be no lemon. (For all of you who don't know what a "lemon" is, it just means a sex scene.) So, there will be no lemon.

Sasuke: Age 23

Sakura: Age 22

The little girl in the story, Kiku, will be used to strengthen the SasuSaku relationship and also show how much Sakura loves children. And she is my own character. I hope you enjoy the story, and feel free to send me a review!

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-Chapter One-

With a heavy heart, Sakura Haruno watched the little girl slump into the chair across from her. Dark circles lied just under the small child's luminous blue eyes.

Sakura smiled at the child she had come to know and love. Daily, the pink-haired woman would visit the orphanage to spend time with the children that called the small, aged building their home. This is where she had met Kiku Yumi, a small blond-haired and blue-eyed girl. Sakura had been nineteen when she had first met Kiku and the younger female had been ten. Although the woman, now twenty-two, spent time with all the children, she had come to know Kiku the best.

"How are you feeling?" were the first words that came out of Sakura's mouth. The words were used so frequently towards the thirteen-year-old these days. Kiku smiled weakly at the older-sister figure sitting across from her. She had known the question was coming.

"I've been more tired recently," the blond answered truthfully. "It's getting closer, you know." Clenching her teeth, Sakura's gaze flickered towards her lap where her hands were resting. Just last year Kiku had been diagnosed with cancer, the doctors saying she would only have around another year to live.

A burning sensation invaded Sakura's nose, the kind you get before you cry. "I know." Swallowing the lump that had been slowly rising in her throat, the twenty-two-year-old directed her view to the girl's face. "Kiku, I wish there was something I could do. You're like family to me, like a little sister." She bit down on her smooth lower lip, forcing tears back once again. "I don't want to lose someone important to me. Not again." Within the past two years Sakura had lost both her mother and her father to car accidents.

Tiny, frail arms embraced the woman when the girl stood from her chair. The head full of shimmering blond hair rested at the crook of the older woman's neck. "It's all part of life, everyone dies at some point."

At that moment the sad truth slapped Sakura right across her flawless face. The woman was worrying about herself, not about the girl hugging her. A look of pure guilt flashed across her face when Kiku pulled away and threw her friend a smile. "I know what you're thinking. Don't feel bad, Sakura, it's only human nature that people worry about themselves first."

A loud beeping noise filled the room suddenly, Sakura digging into her purse to retrieve her cell phone. Flipping it open, her green eyes spotted the time and she jumped up from her seat. "I'm so sorry!" Sakura gushed, sweeping the young girl into her arms. "If I don't leave now I'm going to be late for work. I'll try and visit you at an earlier time tomorrow so that we can spend more time together."

Their eyes locked solidly as Sakura broke away from Kiku. "I love you, Sakura."

"I love you too, Sweetheart, I love you too. I'll see you tomorrow." Rushing out of the building, Sakura walked briskly to her shining red Honda Accord and swung the door open hastily, climbing in.

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Any onlookers would be able to see a woman wearing a black business suit rushing through a parking lot in high heels to get to work on time. She had been warned numerous times before that she would be fired if she arrived late to work any more than she already had.

It was not long before one of her coworkers, Naruto Uzumaki, was trotting alongside her in his suit. "At least we don't have to worry about gaining weight," the man commented, a large grin spreading across his face. The woman rolled her eyes but couldn't help but smile at his words.

Simultaneously, they burst through the double doors of the building in which they worked. Heading opposite ways, Naruto went to his cubicle and Sakura went to her own.

"Ah, right on time." Kakashi Hatake, Sakura's boss, strode out of his overly neat office and smiled at her in satisfaction.

As soon as the silver-haired man disappeared into his office, Ino Yamanaka bounded over to her best friend's cubicle with anxiousness showing on her face, promising some exciting information. "I'm inviting everyone in the office to hang out at the bar tonight and have a drink," the azure-eyed woman announced. A light blush dusted her cheeks as she jabbed a slender finger in the direction of Sasuke Uchiha's work space. "I'm hoping that downright sexy coworker of ours will show up. It would be the perfect time to strike up a conversation and reel him in, you know?" Ino smirked mischievously as Sakura heaved a sigh and rolled her eyes.

Personally, the Haruno female didn't see what was so great about Sasuke Uchiha. There was no doubt he was sexy, but his personality was a total turn-off to her. He wasn't a conversationalist and he was rude to a lot of the people that worked there. Naruto seemed to be his only really close friend, but some of the other males were acquainted with him.

Seeing Sakura's face twist with distaste, Ino glared halfheartedly. "What?" Sakura snapped, crossing her arms and returning the glare. "He's always so anti-social and mean. What the hell is shoved up his ass?"

Pink locks fluttered slightly as Ino spun and strutted away. Hot breath seeped from between Sakura's slightly parted lips when she sighed, casting her eyes down towards the paper work that was to be done. This was going to be a long day. After such a tiring day, she wasn't sure if she would take pleasure in conversing with colleagues at the bar or not. Her internal battle lasted for about an hour as she filled out the paper work in front of her.

The white walls of the building were soon what captured her attention. The plain, boring white walls. At that moment, she started comparing those white walls to her life. The woman had the same routine every single day, there was hardly anything that happened that was out of the ordinary. The more she thought about it, the more boring she realized her life was. Maybe it was time for a change.

With a lopsided smile on her face, Sakura stood and called across the area, "Hey Ino, when are we planning to meet at the bar tonight?"

Pearl-colored eyes peeked over the top of the glass surrounding a cubicle. Hinata Hyuga was grinning at the woman who had just spoken. "Eight," her soft voice called before Ino got the chance to utter a single word. Sakura smiled at her other best friend and thanked her.

The three females had all gone to the same school growing up. Sakura and Ino had been best friends since the second grade, Hinata joining the friendship their first year of high school. As most friends do while in high school, they make promises of sticking together after graduating, and unlike most of those promises, the three had kept theirs.

Two men immediately arose from the chairs at their desks and lustfully gazed at the woman they admired. "Would you like me to drive you there?" both Kiba Inuzuka and Rock Lee asked at the same time. Seconds later, they were both glaring menacingly at one another. Sakura was always flattered at how the two men fancied her, but she honestly had no interest in either of them. Kiba just didn't seem to be her type and neither did Rock Lee, not to mention he was not the best looking man she had ever met.

"No, but thank you both for the offer." Sulkily, the two sank down into their chairs without another word to her. Even though the two were rivals trying to win her affection, they both had at least one thing in common: both had been rejected by Sakura on many occasions.

Resting the tip of her pen on her mouth, the woman smiled, looking forward to the night ahead of her. She was sure she would have fun with her friends. Being with them always diverted her mind from stressful thoughts.

Only a few cubicles away, the Uchiha man of age twenty-three tapped the end of his pen thoughtfully upon his chin. Earlier that morning the annoying blond admirer of his had swooped into his work space and babbled about a stupid social event at the bar. He had merely waved his hand absently, disinterested in what she was talking about. The more he thought about it, the more he started to accept the idea of getting a drink with the people he worked with. Naruto and the other guys would be there too, not just the bunch of feminine workers, which only happened to be four people. The only woman in his work department that he found completely irritating and frustrating was Ino. She would obsess over him and shower him with affection whenever she got the chance, undressing him with her eyes every time she passed by his cubicle. He found it to be unnerving and aggravating. Hinata was a quiet woman that minded her own business, and she seemed to have an interest in Naruto. Tenten was dating Neji Hyuga, so she never looked at Sasuke in a romantic way. The last woman that worked near him was Sakura Haruno. Often times he would hear her and Ino talking, obviously not realizing their volume. The pink-haired woman had a fiery temper and showed a lack of interest in him, which he found comforting. The last thing he wanted was for the _two_ loudest and most obnoxious girls in the work area to be attracted to him.

_Ino will be there_, Sasuke told himself mentally, _but it might not be that bad. Maybe I should go and hang out with the guys. Sakura and Hinata will be there to distract Ino. Hopefully, anyways._

With a stiff nod, the man made up his mind. He would go. He liked being around the guys, and if the strident blond female would be preoccupied he had nothing to worry about.

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Ino had evidently been awaiting Sakura's appearance at the get-together because when the woman stepped inside the bar her best friend jumped up from her seat at the counter and waved her hands, shouting.

"Glad you could make it," Ino greeted, slapping her friend on the back as the woman approached her coworkers. Everyone else was already there, a drink either setting in front of them or held in a hand.

_Wait_. Sakura glanced at the group of people. _Sasuke isn't here. Wait...why do I care?_ She let out a soft laugh, shaking her head as she took a seat on one end of the assembly of people. Ino seemed to be stationed in the center seat, right beside Shikamaru Nara. The lazy man was attempting to listen to Ino talk, but he looked like it was getting on his nerves a bit.

Hinata was sitting by Naruto, who was currently downing a drink. The black-haired woman twisted to smile at her friend. "Going to order something?" After nodding towards her, Sakura signaled the bartender and ordered a margarita. All of the others around her seemed to be having a good time and conversing with one another. Sakura listened in on some of the conversations, but mostly just gazed down at her drink and focused on the rim of the glass, which was caked with salt.

It was only when someone on the other side of her spoke that she realized someone had sat down beside her. Emerald orbs flickering over, they met cold onyx ones.

_Sasuke._ _So he did show up. Does Ino know?_

The bartender slid the drink he ordered to the man and with a large, pale hand, Sasuke picked the drink up and took a swig. Sakura was enjoying herself by just being in the presence of her friends, she didn't need to be talking.

After a while she ordered a shot of whiskey, then another after she was finished with the first. Her ears perked up when she heard Sasuke request a shot of whiskey for himself. It wasn't long before three empty shot glasses sat in front of the raven-haired man.

His lips were curled slightly to one side when Sakura glanced at his face, one of his fine-lined eyebrows raised challengingly.

_Oh, it is on, pretty boy._

Sakura ordered one shot of whiskey after another, her face flushed from her alcohol consumption. The man beside her consumed the same amount then looked to her, his face tinged with pink. When she made no move to order another, he did, and after downing the last shot, she slurred, "You win."

They both felt light-headed and unaware of what was going on around them. Sakura rose from her seat, swaying slightly in her drunken state. "I should-" she hiccupped, "go home." The victor of the drinking contest also stood, saying, "I'll walk you home."

Staggering along the streets together, the two made their way to Sakura's apartment, chattering in slurred words and laughing idiotically at small comments. It seemed the like more they talked the worse their state became. Sakura was hardly conscious of what was going on, but she was only in a slightly worse state of mind than her companion.

They came up to the front of her apartment complex and Sakura buzzed herself in. Before she could successfully enter the building, a warm hand grabbed her wrist and tugged her. Body pressed against that of her co-worker, the only thing she knew was that her heart fluttered. Her eyesight was fuzzy to some extent and his sweet smell was enveloping her.

Sasuke was aware of the rise and fall of her chest, which was pressed against his own. "Sak-" he started to say. Not knowing what she was doing, Sakura crushed her lips against his, knotting her small hands in his oddly styled hair. His reaction was quick, his lips moving against hers as he kissed her back roughly.

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Inhaling deeply, the scent of lilac greeted Sasuke's nostrils as he slowly came out of a deep sleep. The light of the morning sun cascading about the room could be sensed through his eyelids. It was then that his sense of touch distracted him. Under his large hands was a soft and silky texture that was warm, and unbeknownst to him, was Sakura's stomach. Almost out of his half sleep, the man brushed his fingers gently against the surface. His hand ventured down the object even more and he found that it curved at some point.

_What the hell?_

Dark eyes snapping open, he was met with smooth pink hair. His mind, not working properly after he just awoke, did not comprehend what was going on. Finally, he lifted his head away from the pillow it had been resting on all night and took a peek beneath the covers.

_Damn it. Sakura and I obviously had sex last night after getting drunk at the bar. My first time and I can't even remember._

Pouting somewhat, the man slid out of the bed and slipped his boxers and pants on. Sighing, he stuffed his hands in his pockets and strolled over to the window, glancing out at the world outside. He was debating on putting his top on and getting out of the place before his coworker woke up, but he honestly couldn't do that to Sakura. He could not just leave and let her assume nothing happened when something _did_ take place between them last night.

Twisting a bit, he gazed at her sleeping form. Her light pink lips were parted slightly allowing her to breathe deeply and evenly, her face holding a peaceful look. The rays of the sun shining in just right, to him, she looked like an angel.

The man just noticed his throbbing headache, which was the result of his drinking the night before. He was tempted to mosey into the kitchen or bathroom and seek out medicine, but the feminine figure under the covers shifted.

He watched as her jade eyes fluttered open and she squinted a bit against the brightness of the sun. Seeing the man standing mutely in her bedroom, she was at a loss for words. Finally, she took note of her bare skin and let out a dry sob, realizing she and the man had gotten intimate last night.

"I knew I shouldn't have gone to that _stupid_ bar," Sakura whispered hoarsely, covering her face with her hands. "I was so drunk last night; I can't remember anything after leaving the bar."

"Neither can I."

With a weak wave of her hand she gestured for him to turn and look away. When he was facing the window the woman slid out of bed, cringing from the soreness in her vaginal area.

_My first time and I can't even remember_, she growled inwardly.

Once she had underwear, a bra, and a robe on, she told him it was okay. Stealing a glance at the clock, the now furious woman forcefully kicked her dresser.

"I should have been at work three hours ago!" she bellowed, slamming her foot into the dresser a second time. "Shit! I could lose my job!" She went to kick the hard wood again but strong hands grabbed her shoulders and pulled her away from it.

"Stop it, Sakura."

The woman jerked away from him and glared icily into his eyes. "Don't touch me," she spat. "Don't you think you did enough of that last night?"

Sasuke blinked in surprise of her words. Crossing her arms hastily, she sniffed a couple of times, tears glistening in her eyes. "All we have to do is call off of work. That way they can't count us as being late." His words calmed her somewhat and she nodded once.

They both called off of work claiming they were ill. After this task was done, Sakura demanded that her companion take a shower in the only guest bathroom she had. Surprisingly, Sasuke didn't bicker. Both showered and redressed, Sasuke having to wear his suit since it was the only clothing he had at her apartment.

"Well, I should probably be heading home," Sasuke announced as they met up in the kitchen after their showers. Placing a hand on her hip, the woman protested.

"No, you're staying with me until I take a pregnancy test."

"Says you. I say I'm going home and there is nothing you can do to stop me." Out of his peripheral vision he could see her flexing a hand as if she was restraining herself from punching him.

His legs acted without him even having to think about what he was doing. Sasuke made a run for the door, but the smaller frame leapt in front of it before he could reach it. He was making his way towards the exit so fast that he literally ran into her, their bodies pressed against each other once again. He was so close that he could smell the scent of her lilac shampoo, the smell he had been greeted with just as he had woken up that morning.

"Y-You're staying here," she stammered, slightly intimidated by being pressed against the door by a man that was a couple inches taller than her and no undoubtedly stronger. "If the pregnancy test is positive the baby is your responsibility too, Sasuke. You can't leave me now, not at a time like this." Her desperation was suddenly overwhelming him. "I know we hardly know each other, but truthfully, I need you here when I find out."

Shutting his eyes for a split second, he stepped away from her and murmured, "Alright."

Closing her viridian eyes, Sakura slowly slid down until she landed on the ground, propped up against the door. She knew she was most likely not pregnant, but there was still a slim possibility that she was. And she definitely wanted to know right away. Her plain and ordinary white walls were now different, decorated in ugly puke green splotches. If she had known she was going get drunk and sleep with the co-worker she had no interest in and possibly become pregnant, she would have chose to continue living her normal and ordinary life. But that was in the past. She can't undo was has been done. But she can certainly _wish_ she could.

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Well, that is the first chapter. I'm also writing other stories for my own pleasure, so it might be a while until I update, but I assure you that it won't be too terribly long. I know how you all feel when there is a story that you want updated and they never freaking update. I understand. So you won't have to wait too long.


	2. Chapter 2

It took me a while to write this chapter because of my school work, sorry! Thank you to everyone that reviewed the last chapter, I really appreciate it! This chapter is short, I know. Some will be like that sometimes. I hope you like it anyways! Don't forget:

Sasuke: 23

Sakura: 22

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-Chapter Two-

The young pink-haired woman had a superb voice, she really did, but the music was getting on his nerves. The side of Sasuke's face twitched. He had been trapped with her for seven minutes so far in a car, Sakura speeding down the streets and singing as loud as possible to songs that were in a completely different language.

As they arrived at the store, Sasuke was half tempted to jump right out of the car even though they were still maneuvering through the parking lot. Stretching out a pale hand, Sakura jabbed the power button on the radio and pulled into a parking spot, not saying a single word. After nerve-racking seconds of silence, the female let out a strangled sigh. "Well, here we are. I can't believe..." Her voice trailed off and she slammed her hand onto the side of the door, pulling on the lever and opening it. She was quick at getting out of the metal contraption, unlike her companion, who slowly climbed out. His movements were sluggish, his posture poor, clearly indicating that he was dreading these present moments of his life. "Come on now, I don't have all day!"

Glancing at the edgy woman, Sasuke replied lightly, "Actually, you do. We have the day off of work, and I doubt you had anything else planned since we should be working right now, right?" Letting out a perturbed sigh, she spun and started towards the small store, pink locks flowing behind her in the breeze.

Sasuke's lengthy legs helped him to catch up to her. By the irritated expression plastered on her face, Sasuke knew she was upset with him. The person walking beside him acted differently around him than other women did, a lot different. It was unlike a woman to show any form of anger towards him. He could act mean and rude and most women would just brush it off like it was nothing, and they did this just because of the way he looked. That bothered him. But Sakura obviously had no problem expressing fury towards him.

"Stop staring at me," Sakura snapped as they entered the store. Smirking slightly, the man shoved his hands in his pockets.

He trailed behind Sakura as she wove through aisles, attempting to find the specific one she was searching for. It wasn't long before she froze in front of the product she wanted to purchase. There weren't many different brands but she still examined a couple, trying to figure out which would give her the most accurate results.

She read the information on each one, her eyebrows knitting together after scanning over the last choice she had. _I have to wait two weeks for the most accurate results_? Yes, most women knew this, but Sakura had not paid much attention in health class when she was in high school and she never seemed to really think about these things. "Shit. I have to wait two weeks to take this so I can get the most accurate results."

Rocking back and forth from the toes to the balls of his feet, Sasuke sighed. "Even I knew that." Her eyes were a radiant green as the woman shot him a fierce glare. "I don't understand why you are freaking out about this anyways. Don't most women only worry about being pregnant if they miss their period?"

Although his comments sparked rage within her because he was, in a way, insulting her intelligence, she was very amused. "Well, well, well, someone obviously paid attention in health class." Making her final decision and snatching up the brand of pregnancy test she wanted, Sakura added, "My period ended a couple of days ago. I don't want to wait that long to find out if I start it or not, I'll just take this test in two weeks. I tend to worry a lot so I want to know as soon as I possibly can."

"Sasuke, is that you?" a voice that was too terribly familiar to the man called. The seemingly feeble lighting immediately brightened, every object sharpening in Sasuke's view as he became fully attentive. Pink hair slipping out from behind her shoulder, Sakura leaned to the side to gaze past her partner. There, walking down the aisle with a smirk upon his face was a man with long and shimmering black hair tied back loosely and eyes that were strangely identical in color to Sasuke's. Stiffly, the young Uchiha turned to face the person. "Ah, I thought it was you. I was pretty sure no other man alive would have chicken ass hair like you."

This comment caused Sakura to giggle, her empty hand flying up to cover her smooth lips. Eyebrow raised, Sasuke glanced back at her for a second before once again looking at the figure approaching them. "Very funny, Itachi," Sasuke muttered.

"I know. Pinky obviously thought it was." Itachi Uchiha stopped in front of his younger brother as Sakura straightened up and stepped out to the side to be beside Sasuke.

"I have an actual _name_ and it's Sakura Haruno," the woman snapped, her attitude towards the stranger changing drastically. "I will not tolerate being called 'Pinky', especially by someone I don't know." Obviously disgusted with what the man had called her, she crossed her arms over her chest and turned her head in a different direction to avoid looking at him.

Sasuke shifted uncomfortably beside her. "Itachi, this is my coworker. Sakura, this is my older brother Itachi." She made no move to take his hand when he held his out to for a shake. Even after almost half a minute Itachi's hand remained outstretched. First her chartreuse eyes drifted towards the man then her head slowly turned in his direction. With her unoccupied hand, she grasped his and gave the man's large hand a firm shake.

Politely, Itachi said, "Nice to meet you, _Sakura_." Finally accepting the man, a smile worked its way to her face as she replied, "Nice to meet you, too. I didn't know Sasuke had a brother." The realization hit her that she knew absolutely nothing about her coworker other than his name and personality.

By looking back and forth between the two she could definitely tell they were brothers. The two attractive men both had the same shade of dark hair and eyes. Their facial structure was also the same, slightly high cheek bones and perfectly chisled chins along with slim faces. Sakura felt a pinch of jealously towards the two for being so good-looking.

"Why are you here, Itachi?" Sasuke questioned, glancing off to the side with unease. He felt very inferior to his older brother when around other people.

The answer came not long after the question was asked. "Oh, I just came here on my lunch break to buy some groceries." A hand moved to scratch the back of his head, Itachi suddenly curious. "Why are you here? Shouldn't you be at work? I thought your lunch break started as mine ended." His dark-eyed gaze shifted to examine what Sakura was holding. For a moment Itachi only blinked, eyes locked on the object, but his eyes widened a bit. Sakura could tell he wanted to ask about it by the way he pursed his lips together, trying to hold the words in.

Never in the two years of working with Sasuke had Sakura witnessed him blushing, but at this moment, his cheeks were tinged with pink as the youngest male followed his brother's gaze.

The men were quite startled when Sakura let out a lighthearted laugh, waving the product in front of them to see. "You must be wondering if you're going to be an uncle, Itachi. Don't worry, this is for my friend, she asked me to come and pick it up because she is extremely busy today. Unfortunately, my car wouldn't start when I got in it, so I asked Sasuke if he would give me a ride to the store. Our boss let us have our lunch break earlier today because we didn't have a lot of work to do." Letting out an exasperated sigh, Sakura shook her head. "I wish my friend wouldn't sleep around the way she does. It bothers me, especially because she is drunk half of the time."

Both men seemed to relax, Itachi smiling weakly and Sasuke nodding as if agreeing to the fake story his companion had just fed to his family member. "Wow, for a second there being an uncle crossed my mind." Slapping Sasuke lightly on the arm, Itachi turned and started to make his way away from the two. "I need to get back to work. See you later Sasuke, Sakura." With a small wave back at the younger adults, Itachi rounded the corner and was gone.

Both pairs of eyes were averted from the other for about a minute before emerald met onyx. Sasuke's eyes were filled with question. "It would have embarrassed me to tell him the truth, I didn't just lie for you." Shaking his head, a smirk played across his face, yet there was a look of gratitude in his eyes.

The look in his eyes caught Sakura by surprise. From the moment she first saw him she could tell he didn't express emotions frequently, that he was reserved and cold. Taking part in years of internal construction work he had built up a wall inside of him that prevented people from seeing his emotions and himself from expressing them, yet she failed to understand why. Sasuke was smart and good-looking, it stumped her to why he would do such a thing as mask his emotions from others to an extent that made it seem like all that was there was a hollow shell.

Realizing that his eyes were telling her how he felt he turned his head away, slightly embarrassed. She was one of the few people he was grateful to for something they had done.

At times he drove her insane, her moods rocketing to different ones almost every minute, but she realized now that he might not be as cold-hearted and stuck up as she had convinced herself he was.

"Come on, lets go check out." Sakura rested a warm hand lightly on his arm for a split second before turning and starting off towards the registers up front to buy the pregnancy test that was held securely in her hand.

If Sakura did feel the slightest bit abashed at buying a pregnancy test she showed no sign of it as the cashier rung it up and she paid for the product. People probably bought them all the time, it wasn't like she was the only woman in the world buying this from the store.

The trip to her car was a silent one other than the crinkling of the plastic grocery bag as Sakura carried it in one of her hands. The two got in the car and sat there, unmoving, until Sakura tossed the bag in the backseat. "So, two weeks," she stated distastefully. "I guess I'll call you over in two weeks and we'll find out. Where is your place?"

"I thought you were making me stay until you took the test," Sasuke dead panned.

Thoughtfully, the woman sitting in the drivers seat nodded. "I was, but I didn't know I had to wait that long to take it. I'll take you home and we can get together at my apartment in two weeks and find out." Rummaging through her purse, Sakura managed to find her cell phone amidst the various unneeded items. She handed it to him, the man merely gazing at it with his eyebrows pulled together in confusion. "If I'm going to call you I'll need your number."

"I know," he replied as if the look of confusion had never crossed his face, flipping the phone open. Rolling her eyes, Sakura gave the keys a harsh turn in the ignition and the car roared with life.

Instead of playing music with all the words in Spanish, Sakura turned the radio to a hard rock station and took in the sound while keeping silent. She jerked her head towards her purse when Sasuke went to hand her phone back to her. He put it back in her purse and zipped it up, placing it back down behind her seat.

"Where do you live?"

After telling the pink-haired woman the address and instructing her on how to get there neither of them spoke to one another. Sasuke was enjoying the hard rock music much more than that other music Sakura had been playing earlier. It was not long before Sakura pulled into the driveway of Sasuke's house and stopped the car.

Wondering if she was going to say anything, Sasuke sat there for a moment. Finally he unbuckled his seatbelt and swung the door of the car open, stepping out. Verdant orbs drifted to watch his form leave the car and they remained locked on him as he strode up to the front door without glancing back at the woman.

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Walking into the orphanage, the sounds of little feet pattering across the floor met Sakura's ears. A couple small children smiled broadly at her in greeting, some wrapping their tiny arms around her extensive legs in a hug. Squatting down to their level she gave each one a hug then asked where she could find Kiku at. One little girl took her hand and led her to a small adjoining room where Kiku was reading a book, eyes drooping from lack of sleep.

Blue eyes shifted and found Sakura, a smile appearing on Kiku's youthful face. "Sakura," she said softly, motioning the woman over to her for a welcoming hug. "I thought you weren't going to make it today since you didn't show up this morning like you said you would." Cerulean eyes closed as Sakura pressed her lips to the girl's forehead.

"I'm sorry, Kiku," Sakura said sincerely, taking a seat beside her on the tattered couch she was sitting on. The girl seemed to be waiting for an explanation of some kind but Sakura did not want to tell her the truth. Biting her bottom lip, the thought of lying to the younger girl crossed her mind. Always she had told Kiku everything and in return the small girl had told her everything. Lying for the first time would most likely lead to lying again and again...Sakura didn't want to do that to Kiku. "My friend Ino invited our coworkers to the bar last night and I got drunk." Fidgetting nervously, the woman clasped her hands tightly together, so tight that her hands were starting to lose any color they had in them. "I woke up late this morning and found out that I had slept with one of my coworkers."

_There, I said it!_

The last sentence had been hard to hear, but Kiku had just barely caught the words. A very awkward silence lulled between the two for about a minute. "Thank you for telling me and not lying." A curtain of pink hair shielded Sakura's reddened face from Kiku's view so the girl reached over and brushed the hair back behind her friend's ear, afterwards wrapping her slender and gaunt arm around the woman's shoulders. "Sakura, it happens. You didn't mean to sleep with him but things like that happen sometimes. Life goes on, stop dwelling on it."

Bewildered, emerald eyes shifted to stare and the blond girl. It was unbelievable how wise and helpful she was to a grown woman such as Sakura. "Kiku, you are very helpful to me," Sakura whispered, the skin near the corners of her eyes wrinkling as she smiled at the orphan.

"I want to meet him," she blurted out to the older female.

"You _what_?"

Pearly white teeth showing as she grinned, Kiku repeated, "I want to meet him." The longer Sakura thought about the words the more they knawed away at her slightly good mood. It was not but a minute before her mood sunk to depression and despair. Kiku wanted to meet the man she had slept with and would be completely disappointed in his personality. Every part of Sakura's brain was screaming at her to refuse, but she just couldn't bring herself to do it.

"Okay." The bright ceiling lights attracting the woman's attention, she stared up at them, pupils shrinking to small black pricks. "I will bring him to meet you."


	3. Chapter 3

Whew, I'm updating finally. School has been hectic and I just got done taking my finals yesterday, so I'm out for the summer now! Wow, I'm going to be a Senior next year. I'm kind of scared. But I bet hearing me blab is not why you came here, so enjoy the chapter!

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-Chapter Three-

Three women were in one cubicle at the same time, whispering so that no one else could hear. It was a hard task for Ino to do, but she was managing to keep her voice down. Words of concern were voiced on that particular day.

"S-She wasn't here y-yesterday," Hinata stammered, question shimmering in her light gray orbs. "Did s-she call either of y-you?" In unison Tenten and Ino shook their heads.

More enraged than concerned, Ino crossed her arms and glared at the two even though they had done nothing wrong. "I can't believe she didn't even call me to tell me why she wasn't at work yesterday! She didn't call any of us. What the hell is her problem?"

Tenten stole a glance at Ino. "Do you think she is okay?"

At that moment a loud and obnoxious gasp came from the cubicle right beside the one the three females were conversing in. It was only seconds later that Rock Lee could be heard screaming, "Oh Sakura, I hope nothing tragic has happened to you! Such a beautiful blossom...my blossom...so youthful..."

"Your blossom?" Kiba bellowed, banging following his voice. Three pairs of eyes peeked over the top of the cubicle to see Kiba attempting to strangle his thick-eyebrowed partner in crime. They had been eavesdropping on the ladies and when the two men realized three sets of angry eyes were watching them they yelped and fled the cubicle together.

Scowling, Tenten along with the others turned back to face one another. They were as annoyed with Kiba and Rock for obsessing over their friend as much as Sakura herself was.

"Anyways," Tenten grumbled, eyeballing everyone around the area quickly to search for any other eavesdroppers, "should we call her?"

"No!" Ino stomped her foot like a perturbed child. "She obviously doesn't want to talk to us. Let her call us!"

Tapping her fingers together, Hinata started to blush. The blond beside her could be quite intimidating. Even though she had been friends with Ino for a very long time it still scared her when the woman had an outburst. She wasn't used to the startling tone of voice Ino used when she had her little tantrums, same with Sakura.

Timidly, Hinata said, "B-But what if something bad happened to her?"

Ino let out an acidic laugh. "Forehead? Nothing could happen to her, she's a tough one."

All heads in the office turned to stare as the front doors of the building slammed shut after someone entered. Loud clicking of high heels could be heard echoing off those plain white walls surrounding all of the people.

"Sakura!" Tenten and Hinata exclaimed at the same time, faces lighting up. Ino's reaction was quite the opposite.

"Forehead!" the blue-eyed blond woman screamed, briskly marching over to her best friend as the pink-haired woman froze, puzzled at Ino's tone. "You weren't here yesterday and you didn't even bother calling any of us. What is wrong with you? We were worried!"

Brushing past the fuming blond, Sakura made her way to her cubicle and set her purse down before tapping the stack of papers on her desk into a neat pile. The woman had known ignoring her friend had been a bad idea from the start.

Smacking a hand down on a clean part of the desk, Ino glared at Sakura and waited for an explanation. Rolling her emerald orbs, Sakura sighed and spun to face the woman. "I'm sorry. I didn't feel well and stayed home." Her expression turned into a challenging one as she added, "I didn't know I had to call and inform you about everything I do, master."

Ino's face immediately burned. "Why you-"

"Ladies, keep it down." Kakashi was peering out at them from the doorframe of his office. "Get to work, personal issues can wait until later."

Although Ino and Sakura were best friends their personalities clashed at times, both exploding at one another. They always made up afterwards though, so it was never truly a very big deal.

The doors of the building opened and the women's eyes shifted to see who had arrived. Sasuke walked into the building and Ino's face lit up, which for some odd reason sparked a flame in Sakura's eyes. After sleeping with him, for some odd reason, Sakura felt as if no other woman should look at him in a romantic way, especially one of her best friends. Sakura realized it was very strange to feel this way, she did in fact, hate him.

Forgetting all about her friend Ino rushed out of Sakura's cubicle and went to greet Sasuke. Flinging her arms around the man she giggled and greeted, "Good morning, Sasuke. I missed you yesterday."

He merely shrugged her off and made his way to his cubicle. On his way past Sakura's work spot he cast her a glance, yet it held no meaning. She, in turn, stared at him with a sour expression upon her face.

_Wait,_ Hinata thought with wide eyes as she suddenly remembered something, _didn't they leave the bar together?_ Her heart rate increased as she started to piece everything together. She would have to talk to Sakura about it later, have to learn the truth. She knew, even though Sakura and Ino were best friends, that the pink-haired woman would not ever tell Ino that she fooled around with Sasuke. She would have to find out for herself by confronting Sakura later.

Ripping her eyes away from Sasuke the woman went to scoot up to her desk and start filling out paperwork. Two figures huddled under her desk caught her emerald eyes and she stared down at Rock and Kiba as they smiled innocently at the person they were attracted to.

"What are you doing down there?" Sakura demanded to know, her voice nonchalant but laced with venom.

Kiba looked at Rock, hoping that he would provide the woman with a reasonable explanation. "Hiding from your friends?" Rock answered. His voice sounded tad uncertain, a little too uncertain for Sakura to believe him.

"Get out from under my work area!" she screamed shrilly, quickly moving so that her legs were together and they could not see up her dress any longer. "Get out!" Her red face, flaring nostrils, and crazed gleam in her eyes was more than enough to scare the two off. Kiba and Rock scrambled out of there as fast as possible, running to the mens room screaming. They weren't positive if they would even be safe in there, Sakura was not the kind of woman that would be frightened to enter the mens bathroom to catch pests and beat them.

It was not long before everyone in the area was back at their own work space and taking phone calls and filling out paperwork. The phone on Sakura's desk rang shrilly and the woman snatched it up, answering the call with the nicest tone she could muster up in her bad mood. "Thank you for calling. Sakura Haruno speaking, how may I help you?"

"It's just me," a soft voice said from the other end of the phone. Sakura's hard expression softened a bit as she heard the voice of her quiet friend coming from the phone. "I-I was wondering if you would have lunch with me today at the restaurant across the street?"

_She must know about me leaving the bar with Sasuke two nights ago..._

The thought of Hinata telling Ino the story flooded her mind. She couldn't let that happen. Ino was her best friend, but Ino really liked Sasuke...and Sakura, who doesn't like him one bit is the one that slept with him. Sakura didn't want to talk to Hinata about it because there was a chance of her telling Ino about it. But then again, Hinata was already onto the case, and she definitely wasn't stupid. Sakura didn't want to push her away, to be honest, she needed someone to talk to.

"That sounds great," Sakura replied faintly. "See you then, Hinata."

As Sakura hung up the phone she sunk down in her seek, resting her free hand on her slightly large forehead. Explaining the situation to Hinata was going to be difficult even though she was one of Sakura's best friends. It just seemed so personal. But what else were best friends for?

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Tenten's chocolate-colored eyes darted around the work area attempting to find a certain pink-haired female. Neji was not sure why his girlfriend was so determined to find Sakura, but he was starting to feel a bit jealous to be completely honest. Tenten had hardly said a word to him since they had started eating lunch together in his cubicle.

"You're not going to find her."

His comment was ignored. Shoveling some rice into his mouth, pearl-colored eyes remained locked on his girlfriend, slightly narrowed. For about a minute he didn't speak and Tenten continued to scan the premises.

"She went to lunch with Hinata," Neji finally spat, slamming his plastic cup down on the desk. The sound caused Tenten to jump a bit, eyes snapping over to meet his. "She left and went to lunch with my cousin. Stop looking around for her and eat!" With that, he scowled and shoved forkfuls of food into his mouth. The brunette knew he was trying not to show his jealousy, but it was definitely showing.

Picking lightly at her lunch, Tenten gazed at Neji thoughtfully. "I'm sorry," she finally said meekly. There was a long silence in which the two ate, not looking at one another. When the female felt a warm hand come to rest on her knee she knew her boyfriend had accepted the apology.

They were exchanging glances every once in while. It was only until a particular person appeared at the cubicle that their eyes drifted to stare at him.

"Where is Sakura?" Sasuke demanded to know. Neji raised an eyebrow and stole a short look at Tenten.

The woman eyed him suspiciously for a moment before drawling, "She went out to lunch with Hinata across the street."

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Hinata was blushing profusely as she listened to the last of Sakura's story. She couldn't believe Sakura had actually had sex with Sasuke without knowing it, it seemed like a horrific thing.

All Hinata could do was shake her head slightly while Sakura sighed and took a sip of her iced tea. Their plates had been cleaned off only minutes ago and they were now sitting and enjoying the rest of their lunch break.

Everyone's attention was drawn to the door of the restaurant when the door slammed open. Sakura grumbled something under her breath and slumped down in her chair, hoping the man would not pick her out of the crowd. She knew though, that her pink hair would give her away. In seconds, Sasuke was standing beside the table looking quite irritated. Hinata let out a small squeak and lowered her head as Sakura shifted her emerald gaze to his onyx one.

"What?"

"I left my wallet..." his voice trailed off as he took a glance at the Hyuga female sitting across from Sakura. He cleared his throat and decided to keep it simple, it wouldn't be that hard to figure out what he meant. "My wallet."

Challengingly Sakura held his gaze steadily and said, "What kind of an idiot would not realize his wallet was missing until a day later?" The side of Sasuke's face twitched as it molded into an angered expression. "And you were the one that payed attention in school. Maybe it's better not to because it obviously seems like you turn out smarter, to tell the truth." She was really testing him by saying these words, but he was determined to keep his cool in public.

Hinata let out another squeak before saying, "S-Sakura, j-just give him t-the wallet!"

Growling, Sakura dug through her purse then slapped the item into his hand when he stretched his arm towards her. Only smirking, he turned and walked towards the doors of the building. When she glanced at his retreating form he also glanced back at her. Looking directly into his eyes made the sound of her pulse rush through her ears. She didn't know why it did that, but it sure was annoying, just like he was.

When the woman turned back around she found her friend taking a drink of her water, face flushed. The two said nothing, merely glanced to the side and sighed.

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Batting her eyelashes sweetly, Sakura decided to try once again. "Please?" she purred. Sasuke didn't care if she was trying to look cute - even if she was succeeding - he wasn't going to agree to what she had asked him to do. For about the fifth time she had questioned if he would accompany her to see a little girl at the orphanage. One of those times she had tried to make him feel bad by mentioning the little girl had cancer.

It was only when she grabbed him by the front of his suit and yanked him close that his attention was focused solely on her. "Come with me," the woman hissed, ditching the cute and innocent act. "She wants to meet you and I told her I would bring you."

"Too bad you agreed to something like that without asking me first. I'm not going."

"I hate you!" Sakura let go of his outfit and kicked the bottom of his chair. "I've been asking you nicely and you won't even agree to come if I ask like that. Why are you such an asshole? The little girl is close to me, she has cancer...I don't know how much longer she will live. I couldn't lie to her, I told her what we did and now she wants to meet you. Stop being such a bastard and _come with me_!" Sakura emphasized the last words by stomping her foot. Personally, the male couldn't believe how childish Sakura sounded. It got on his nerves, almost to the point where he wanted to staple her mouth shut so she would shut up and stop using a whiny, high-pitched voice.

He sat there for a moment in silence, the only sound being Sakura's heavy breathing. With his cold, dark eyes, he looked at her. "If I go this once will you promise not to beg me to go ever again?" Stiffly, the woman nodded. "Fine, I'll go."

As if nothing had happened before, Sakura smiled at him warmly. By the way the smile lit up her face, the way her eyes sparkled by those words, Sasuke could tell this child really did mean a lot to her. His feeling of dread eased away into something different, something that made him feel good. Was it because he was doing the right thing or because the woman standing before him seemed to be the happiest he had seen her? Slightly confused, he wondered why seeing Sakura happy would make him feel good. All she had ever done was snap at him or glower at him with pure loathing. But that was why he was drawn to her so much. No one ever treated him like she did, it was all new to him, and he personally found that he somewhat enjoyed irritating her and found the way she treated him amusing.

Sasuke was ripped from his thoughts when Sakura pressed a post-it note onto his chest and gave a small laugh. "That's where I live. Be there by six."

The pink-haired woman turned to leave him there but he stopped her by saying her name. When she turned, she threw a questioning look at him, mouth curved in a frown. "You're...different," he said slowly with a raised eyebrow.

For a second it seemed as if she hadn't caught the words, but a smile worked it's way onto her face before she replied, "Yeah, well, you're an asshole." Curvy hips swaying slightly as she left, Sakura giggled. When Sasuke turned his chair towards his desk he, surprisingly, let out a soft chuckle and pulled the sticky note off of his outfit.

When that time finally rolled around, Sakura was in her apartment, unaware of what time it was. To be completely truthful, the event had slipped her mind. She was already dressed for bed in short red shorts and a tank top even though it was only six. Music was playing fairly loud from the television speaker, the channel set on a hard rock music station available on the television.

_Knock knock_. Sakura didn't hear the sound from where she was standing in the kitchen, rummaging around in the fridge for some dinner.

_Knock knock!_ That time she heard it, but just barely. Reaching back in her mind, she tried to figure out who would be knocking at her door. Her eyes suddenly widened. "Shit."

_Knock knock knock knock knock knock knock knock knock knock knock..._

"Shut up, I hear you!" she yelled, stomping over to the door and sliding the latch away to fling it open, one eye twitching in annoyance.

There he stood, right in front of her, with a smug smile on his face. She really wanted to slap that look right off his gorgeous face. As if his face was concrete, dried with that expression, it remained on his face even as he entered her apartment. Only for a few moments was he mute.

"Are you wearing that out in public? It looks like something you would wear to sleep or something."

Emerald eyes narrowing, she bumped past him and went into her room to change. After a minute she came out in the same tank top but with jeans covering her lower half. Even without dressing nicely or putting makeup on the woman looked beautiful, even Sasuke noticed this. He had never told anyone, but he preferred women without makeup, it made them look too fake when they wore it. Sakura never wore makeup, and if she did, it was applied lightly and were natural colors that didn't conceal her true appearance.

Grabbing the remote for the television Sakura turned it off then grabbed her car keys before ushering Sasuke out the door with her. In the car, Sakura didn't even bother turning on the radio. Raising an eyebrow, Sasuke wondered why she was acting so different from the other day. He was the one that reached out and turned the radio onto a hard rock station. It was soon discovered that the song playing was one of Sakura's favorites because she started singing along with high volume after a couple of seconds, moving her head in different directions in a way that caused her hair to fly in every direction around her face.

It was entertaining to watch a grown woman act this way, but Sasuke soon realized that it must be difficult for her to keep an eye on where she was driving when she was moving erratically with her pale pink hair shielding her view for a moment. "Sakura, you're going to crash if you don't stop that," Sasuke muttered, shaking his head.

Grinning brightly the woman stopped. It was only another minute before she turned into the very small parking lot of the orphanage and parked.

"What is her name again?" Sasuke asked as they hauled themselves out of the car.

"Kiku is her name, and she's thirteen. Try and be somewhat social and nice. Just try, I know it would be very hard for you to do since you're a human ice cube."

Something that sounded like a snort came from Sasuke as the two walked together towards the building. Green eyes widened when they stepped inside and were met immediately by a beaming thirteen-year-old blond.

Scooping the fragile girl up into her arms, Sakura murmured, "Kiku, come on now, you should sit down."

"You brought him!" was the only greeting Sakura received. The child was beaming, gaze locked on Sasuke as Sakura set her down on a chair and pulled two up to sit across from her. Arms crossing, Sasuke cast Kiku a wary glance. He had known she had cancer, but he hadn't been expecting to see her so skinny and frail with thin hair. He had thought she hadn't had cancer for long, but he had soon realized how wrong he was.

Silence settled between the three. Most of the other children were off eating dinner, but Kiku didn't have much of an appetite, so the room was utterly quiet.

Finally, Sakura cleared her throat. "Well, this is Sasuke Uchiha. Sasuke, this is Kiku Yumi."

"Nice to meet you, Sasuke," Kiku chirped, more awake than Sakura had seen her in a long time.

There was a pause, in which Sasuke's lips twitched as he attempted to smile. "Er...nice to meet you, too." Cerulean eyes held a steady gaze with cold onyx ones. "So...you've uh...known Sakura for a long time?" The blond head bobbed up and down as she replied cheerfully, "Yes, for about three...maybe nearly four years. I can't remember these days. Sakura is just wonderful, she's like a sister to me."

Raising an eyebrow Kiku leaned towards him a bit. "And you've known her for how long?" If you looked hard enough you would be able to just barely make out a smirk playing across the girl's lips.

"I don't know," Sasuke muttered. He took a moment to think. "Ever since she started working where I do. I haven't personally known her until...well, she told you what happened."

For the next half an hour things went smoothly, Sasuke talking to the girl with interest in what she said and Sakura occasionally commenting on something. Kiku and Sasuke got along well and Sasuke was doing a very good job at conversing with her, surprisingly. At one point, Sakura looked at him in bewilderment because she had no idea that the man could carry on such conversations.

It was when it was time that the two left that Kiku's face became sullen. "I love you," she whispered to Sakura when the woman bent over to hug her.

"I love you, too."

Sasuke knew he wasn't supposed to hear the words they had spoken, but it couldn't be helped. His frown deepened, coming to a complete understanding that the two meant the world to one another, truly were like sisters. Watching Kiku just fade away from the cancer he knew was definitely hurting Sakura more than she let on.

"Nice meeting you, Sasuke. Take care of Sakura, now."

He shot the child a glare without thinking and she erupted into a fit of giggles. This surprised him. Sakura caught the look and grabbed his arm, yanking him along and back out to the car.

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Those two weeks since the night Sasuke and Sakura had sex had seemed to pass tardily. Every day Sakura would become more jittery about the results of her pregnancy test and Sasuke became more dismayed about having to support Sakura when she freaked out about the result, which he knew she would freak out no matter what the result was.

It was finally the day Sakura could take the test and get the most accurate results, the day she had been anticipating since she bought the product. Sasuke was supposed to arrive at her apartment any moment...

_Knock knock._

Sakura shot out of the armchair she was sitting in and raced to the door, flinging it open with so much force that it banged into her wall and caused her to jump back, startled. Blinking, Sasuke raised an eyebrow. She sure was nervous about this.

Face pale, no words came out of the female's mouth. She simply gestured to the living room where Sasuke took his seat and watched her disappear into the bathroom to take the test. He knew waiting for the results would practically eat Sakura from the inside out.

Two minutes later she emerged from the bathroom and plopped down on the arm of the chair Sasuke was in, and luckily his arm hadn't been resting there.

Ghostly white, her face turned to him, expression blank. "I'm scared," she whispered, a mix of emotions finally flashing across her face. If he had known what to say he would have at least tried to offer words of comfort, but his mouth was dry and he felt as if it was sewn shut. Obviously, he was more nervous than he had thought. The one thing he did was reach out and give her a pat on the back reassuringly, but Sakura didn't even seem to notice.

After waiting for a while, Sakura took Sasuke's hand in her's gently and led him to the bathroom. When she reached out for the small pregnancy stick her hand was shaking like crazy.

"Just get it over with," Sasuke said. His heart was pounding harder than it ever had as he realized that this one small test could change his whole life.

And she did. Sakura looked at the result, her knees buckling. "It's...it's..."

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MWAHAHAHAHA! For all of you who read this, sorry about that. Now you'll have to wait to see if Sakura is pregnant or not. You can definitely tell they are starting to like each other though, except they just don't know what the feelings they have are. Please review.


	4. Chapter 4

Sorry about the wait. And at such a cliffhanger, too! I've just been really busy this summer with family and all. But I now have more of the story!

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-Chapter Four-

"Negative," she breathed, starting to collapse with sudden relief from the pressure. Sasuke caught her around the waist as she descended, taking him with her. They landed on the floor together, the pink-haired female leaning against her companion for support. Her hand hit the floor with a _thunk_ and the test slid across the tiles and away from them. "Thank God it is negative."

The two simply remained there on the ground, one of Sasuke's arms wrapped around the distressed woman. Her head fell back onto his chest as tears started to stream down her face.

"Sakura, it's over with."

The sound of her sobs bounced off the walls of the small room as her body shook. It wasn't like Sasuke to try and comfort people, but it was obvious that she needed solace at that moment. Awkwardly, he wrapped his other arm around her and pulled her a bit closer. He felt very odd doing this sort of thing.

"Calm down, why are you crying?" he asked in a flat voice.

She sniffed before choking out, "I-I just still can't believe what happened. At least I'm not p-pregnant." Swiping the back of her hand across her face she brushed away as many tears as possible. "T-Thank you for being here."

"I didn't really have much of a choice."

A small laugh left the woman as she pushed away from him and stood up, smoothing her shirt out. Looking up at her, he realized the woman had been under a lot of emotional stress for the past two weeks. He himself had been under a lot of emotional stress the last few weeks also, he just hadn't fully realized it until just then.

Turning, Sakura ran her fingers through her hair as she sniffed. "I'm sorry, I know I look pathetic. It's just been nerve-wracking the past two weeks. I mean, I've always..." Her voice faded and she shook her head firmly. "I don't know why I'm telling you any of this. It's not like you care or anything."

Sakura walked out of the bathroom, one hand raised and wiping one last tear away, leaving Sasuke sitting on the cold floor. She was right, he didn't care, but that fact bothered him. He had never cared about anything except himself. He knew he was a loner, but he didn't want to be one for his whole life. After living alone in an empty house for a couple years he had realized how terribly lonely it was. He had always wanted friends, a wife, a family...but with an attitude like his, how would he get all of that?

A stiff hand came to rest on his forehead as he let out air he hadn't known he was holding in. He knew what he had to do. He had to change and he was determined to do so. He had to. He didn't want to be solitary his whole life, that was his worst fear, yet he would never admit it, at least not out loud. It was hard enough to admit it to himself.

Hauling himself to his feet, Sasuke strode into the living room to find his sniffing coworker curled up on the couch.

Taking in a deep breath, he prepared himself for what he was about to say. It would be hard, very hard, but he needed to do it. It was the start of his transformation. "I-" He paused, wondering if it was possible to say the words he wanted to. "I care."

Sakura, with her large shimmering green orbs, turned her head and met his eyes. After a couple of seconds her jaw tightened and she appeared almost angry. "No, you don't. You can't just say it, you have to mean it, too." He held her gaze steadily while nodding in apprehension. The rage seemed to drain out of her leaving only a stricken expression on the woman's face. "I appreciate you trying to comfort me, though," she added softly, straightening her posture.

Cautiously, Sasuke rounded the armchair and lowered himself onto it. "What were you going to say before you left the bathroom?" He wasn't attempting to be nice anymore, he was asking out of pure curiosity.

Sakura let out a single airy laugh as she looked away from the man. "It's just...I've always wanted kids."

Waiting, the man wondered if she was going to say any more than that. After about a minute of silence lulling between the two, Sasuke raised an eyebrow and asked, "You mean you wanted the test to be positive?"

"No," Sakura said loudly, shaking her head. Their eyes locked once again when she looked over. "I don't want kids from...that kind of thing. I want to get married and have kids." A light pink dusted her cheeks all of a sudden. "I just haven't had a lot of boyfriends in my lifetime and I kind of feel like I'll never find the right man for me. It's hard for me to be single as an adult. I'm in love with love, you see. I've always wanted to be in love."

Even though Sasuke really was listening to the woman he looked slightly bored with her rambling. Sakura chuckled and looked down at her feminine hands before sighing. "Sorry, I tend to rant when I'm upset or stressed out. I know you don't care, but thanks for at least sitting there and putting up with me."

It seemed like the appropriate time to leave so Sasuke stood up and nodded to Sakura before gliding to the door of her apartment. The woman padded along behind him, holding the door open for him when they got to it. He froze in the doorway and turned slightly to face her. All the drama and excitement in his life was coming to an end so quickly. "I guess this is goodbye," Sakura whispered, a weak smile forming on her face. "I still hate you, Sasuke, but you're not that bad of a guy. Take care, okay?"

"Yeah..." he mumbled, stuffing his hands in his pockets. Without another word he walked down the hall and out of the view of striking emerald eyes.

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"A _what_?" Neji snapped, gaping at his employer. The pale skin at the sides of Kakashi's gray eyes crinkled as he grinned at the group of his employees.

"An outing. I think it will be fun for all of us to take a day off and hang out together."

One side of Sasuke's face twitched as he glared menacingly at his boss. Neji's expression looked scarily similar to Sasuke's. The male Hyuga spat, "Are you _serious_?" Kakashi's grin only grew wider after hearing those words. Tenten took Neji's hand in one and patted it lightly with the other, trying to comfort him. He had never been all that good at socializing, just like Sasuke, but he was a lot better at it than the Uchiha. That was for sure. Half of the group groaned in despair while the other half...

"This is going to be so much fun!" Ino and Naruto squealed at the same time, the blond woman hopping up and down enthusiastically as the male beamed.

Rock Lee gave the two a thumbs up while smiling his signature smile. "It will be fun indeed!"

The silver-haired man motioned to the entrance of the building. Through the glass doors a bus could be seen idling right outside.

"You're making us ride a bus?" Sakura screeched, causing a few people to cringe.

No one answered her, her coworkers simply brushed past her, her boss among them. Hinata caught her arm on the way by and drug the complaining woman along. It didn't take but minutes for everyone to get on the bus and get seated in the places they wanted. Most of the males were in the back of the bus while the four women sat at the front of the bus. Ino and Tenten had sat together on one side while Hinata had pulled Sakura into the spot on the seat beside her.

As the engine roared when they took off towards their destination for the outing, Hinata leaned over and whispered, "What was the result?"

At first Sakura had no idea what the woman was talking about. Hinata's anxiousness grew as she waited for a response. When her friend didn't answer she assumed the worst and clutched the female's arm tightly, pearl-colored eyes wide. Sakura could visibly see the woman tense.

"Negative," Sakura replied softly with a small nod. In relief Hinata's head fell back against the dark seat of the bus as she let out a deep sigh.

"You had me worried for a second." A small smile crept to Sakura's face as she stared at her friend. "That is great, Sakura."

Tenten jumped across the aisle as the bus was moving, earning a disapproving glare from the driver, and sat on Sakura's lap. "What are you two whispering about?" she chirped, smiling brightly. Stealing a glance at one another, Sakura and Hinata laughed lightheartedly.

"We were just talking about-" Sakura started, trying to spit out some lie. Faint music met her ears and she recognized the tune as her ringtone. Shoving Tenten off of her and over onto Hinata, Sakura bent down and picked up her purse.

"Hello?" she said after finding the device and opening it.

"Sakura, how are you?"

For a moment the woman didn't realize who was on the other end of the phone. "Oh," she exclaimed in realization, "I'm doing great, thanks. How are you Hikari?" Hikari Ryusaka was her cousin. Hikari had spent a lot of time with Sakura as the two grew up so they felt more like sisters than cousins but they didn't keep in touch a lot.

"Oh, I'm fine. I have really good news." By the sound of her voice Sakura could tell the woman was smiling broadly and just bubbling with excitement. "I'm getting married!"

Eyes widening, Sakura had to grip the phone harder to make sure she didn't drop it. "_What_?"

"I'm getting married, Sakura. To Daisuke Ryu."

"Wait," Sakura said, blinking a few times. Why hadn't she known about this before? "I thought he was your best friend."

Melodic laughs came through the phone. "He was, he still is. But he's also something more to me. We've dated for about a year and he finally asked me to marry him." Sakura's cousin only received the noise of the motor of the bus and voices of her relative's coworkers. After a while, Hikari said in a shaky voice, "Sakura? Why aren't you answering me? Do you think it was a bad decision to get engaged to him?"

"No, that's not it!" Sakura said quickly. "I'm really happy for you. I just wondered why you hadn't told me before that you two were going out and everything." It wasn't a lie, Sakura really was happy for her cousin, but she felt just a pang of jealousy that Hikari had found her 'Mr. Right' and Sakura had hardly been on five dates in her lifetime. Men found Sakura attractive, but most of the ones that actually worked up the courage to ask her out either used a horrendous pick-up line or were way too cocky when they spoke to her.

"Oh, Sakura, I'm sorry I hadn't told you. I was just caught up in the moment and I was just really busy. But I'm telling you now, and I also want to tell you that I want you to be a bride's maid."

The woman's face suddenly lit up. She had always wanted to take part in a wedding, wearing a lovely flowing gown and walking down the aisle with a handsome man latched onto her arm. "Yes, of course!" she giggled, bouncing up and down on the seat, Tenten and Hinata staring at her with questioning eyes.

"That's great! Okay, Sakura, here are the plans. I want you to arrive here in ten days. Don't worry about where you are going to stay and all that, I am going to book you reservations at a hotel for you and your date. He will be in the wedding, too, walking you down the aisle. I'm sure he and Daisuke will get along, my Daisuke can get along with anyone." Hikari paused to giggle, thinking about her husband-to-be. "You got that?"

The female's face was wiped clean from any emotions, her mouth slightly ajar. Finally, she managed to mutter, "I'm not dating anyone."

"Then find yourself a good man and drag him along! I'll call you later to give you more information about how to get here and where you'll be staying. Love you!"

The line went dead, leaving a distressed Sakura gazing helplessly at the back of the seat that was in front of her.

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"Naruto?" Hinata shot a glare at Ino, which shocked the three women that were conversing with her. "Okay then, what about Kiba?"

"Rock?"

"Shikamaru?" A strange expression crossed Ino's face for a split second before going blank.

Sighing, Sakura bent forward and perched her elbows on her knees, cradling her head in her palms. "I wouldn't take Naruto because he gets on my nerves and also because Hinata likes him. Kiba and Rock are was too obsessive. They would act like it was our wedding instead of my cousin's. I don't even _know_ Shikamaru. So none of them."

The four females were currently sitting on a wooden bench, all squished together to fit, and attempting to figure out who Sakura should take to her cousin's wedding with her. The bus had taken them to a park where you could grill food and the guys were huddled around the grill not too far away cooking hamburgers and hotdogs for lunch.

Without warning a mental image of Sasuke flashed through Sakura's mind. She bit her bottom lip to keep from saying anything. Ino liked him so she couldn't ask him to accompany her. He was the only man that she worked with that she had gotten to know somewhat.

"I have a confession," Ino blurted. Three pairs of eyes came to rest on the woman.

"Ino?" a deep voice said, interrupting their conversation. None of them had noticed that Shikamaru had approached them and was standing directly in front of Ino, scratching the back of his head as if he was nervous. Sakura observed her friend. A smile lit up Ino's face and she straightened up a bit. "Would you like to go for a walk or something?" Without responding the blond got to her feet and started walking away with him, not even glancing back at her friends. Ever since that night at the bar Ino and Shikamaru had been talking and had become friends.

Sakura stared after them, mouth hanging open. "What was she going to tell us? Ugh, now I'm dying to know." Tenten nodded in agreement as Hinata sat there unmoving.

It wasn't but two minutes before Ino came back over to her group of friends, squealing. "Shikamaru asked me out!" she screamed at them in excitement. Three mouths suddenly fell open as they stared at the blue-eyed blond. All the guys were also looking over with interest before turning to mutter among themselves, questions being shot left and right at the black-haired man that now had a girlfriend. Sasuke was actually smiling from hearing the news.

Sakura shot up from the bench and grabbed Ino's shoulders, giving her a firm shake. "I thought you liked Sasuke!"

"I was about to confess that I liked Shikamaru now right before he came over!"

The next thing Sakura knew, she was hugging her best friend, happy for her and herself. She had just found a date for the wedding even though she disliked the person. She couldn't help but feel connected to him somehow. She was just hoping that he would concur. Pale pink lips turned up into a smirk when she realized that she would definitely get him to go with her using the same technique she had used last time. All she had to do was annoy him to the point that he agreed to go if she never bothered him again.

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Usually Sasuke didn't notice a lot of things, but he definitely noticed Sakura staring him down as the guys finished up grilling the food. It was quite obvious that there was something on her mind and she was going to confront him about it. He was just about to stare back, glaring, but his cell phone rang.

Sighing, Sasuke rolled his eyes as he flipped it open and held it up to his ear. "What?"

"Hey little brother," Itachi said cheerfully from the other end of the phone. "I don't have a lot of time to talk, my lunch break is about to end, but mom and dad wanted me to let you know that there is going to be an Uchiha family reunion in about a week and a half. They wanted to know if we were coming and I told them that we would."

It was unlike Sasuke to make faces while he talked on the phone, but he couldn't help it this time. He slumped over a bit, his mouth forming a slight pout. "Do I have to? Do you remember the last time? All the old people pinch your cheeks and ask if you have a girlfriend yet."

"Sasuke, you can't let me go alone. You're the only one that I could hang out with there."

Itachi actually liked hanging out with his younger brother, probably because he got to tease him so much, but Sasuke really didn't like being with Itachi. Everyone always thought Itachi was so much better just because he actually had somewhat good social skills.

"Well..."

"Sasuke!" Sakura said loudly, marching over to the man. Of course she had picked the time when he was on the phone to irritate him. "Sasuke, I have to talk to you."

Itachi chuckled. "Is that Pinkie?"

"Yeah, it's _Pinkie_."

Sakura made a grab for the phone but Sasuke shifted so she missed. "I told you to call me by my name, asshole!" Sakura shouted so that Itachi would be able to hear. The black-haired man on the phone laughed as everyone else at the outing stared at her. She turned her attention back to Sasuke and said again, "I need to talk to you."

A large pale hand was held up to stop her from talking. "I'm on the phone right now, Sakura."

She didn't seem to care. "My cousin is getting married and I'm going to be in the wedding and I need a date. I will have to leave in ten days and I don't know when I'll be back."

The words 'ten days' caught the raven-haired man's attention. "Did you say ten days?" Once she nodded he said quickly, "Yes, I'll go."

Standing there with a slightly puzzled look on her face, Sakura listened as Sasuke started talking to his brother once again. "Hey, sorry, but I can't go. I promised Sakura I would go to her cousin's wedding as her date."

"You? A date? Woah, too much information for my brain to process." Sasuke rolled his dark eyes. "Well fine, if you promised her to go then I guess you have no choice. I wouldn't want her murdering you, because I honestly think she would if you pissed her off enough. I'll tell mom and dad. Have fun."

The line went dead.

Onyx met emerald and stayed. Her lips were parted slightly as if she was about to say something. Turning slowly, she started to walk away but then stopped and glanced back at him. "You agreed to go with me so easily."

Sasuke smirked his signature smirk. "Yeah, well it was so I didn't have to go to a family reunion. I didn't do it for you, I did it for me."

Crossing her arms, Sakura huffed, "I should have known."

And so it was settled. Sasuke would accompany Sakura to her cousin's wedding as her date. But both knew, without saying anything, that there would be no romantic feelings involved whatsoever. They weren't even friends. It would be difficult to spend so much time together, but Sakura needed a date and Sasuke had to get out of going to one of those much dreaded family reunions. It was odd to think about, but they were actually helping each other out.

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So, next time you will get to see how they get along as they are on their 'vacation'. Feelings will start to be unleashed, so do not fret. Sorry if you wanted her to be pregnant...but it just doesn't always work that way. Reviews make me happy!


	5. Chapter 5

Ugh. School is terrible. I have so much homework. That's why I am updating so late. I'm sorry for such the delay! I will try to update more often. I'm also terribly sorry this chapter is so short. I've just been trying to get it finished, get _anything _finished for you all to read. The chapters won't always be short like this, so don't worry. I still hope you enjoy it, though!

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-Chapter Five-

They had only been driving for three hours in Sakura's car and Sasuke had hit the side of the door about an hour ago, attempting to scoot as far away from the driver as possible. The hard rock music the woman loved so dearly was blaring and she was, of course, singing along loudly. At this point, Sasuke had a migraine and was in a foul and brooding mood.

Hikari's wedding was taking place not too far away from New York City, which was only a couple hours of driving from Southern Michigan where the two lived. Just as the raven-haired man had entered the car early that morning Sakura had informed him that they would be staying at a hotel in New York City. He also recieved a small bit of news that definitely did not help his mood. Apparently, Sakura had always wanted to visit the city, and knowing this, Hikari had booked them the hotel for a whole week. The two had about five days to do what they pleased around the city and Sakura was extremely excited. Sasuke, on the other hand, was not looking forward to it. The last thing he wanted was to be dragged along through a bustling city by his crazed coworker.

"I'm so excited," Sakura exclaimed for the tenth time since they had been in the car. Her words were followed by a high-pitched squeal and a huge grin. Turning the volume of the music down a bit, she sighed. "Aren't you excited, too, Sasuke?" A pink eyebrow raised, she stole a glance at the man. "I don't know why I even asked, to be honest. You never show any emotion at all."

Before Sasuke could make a rude comment, Sakura's cell phone started ringing. "Hello?" she chimed, not bothering to look to see who it was. "Oh, Kiku, hello dear." Sakura let out a nervous laugh. "Oh, I'm not up to much, really. Just on my way to New York like I told you I would be a couple days ago, remember?" She was so busy chatting she almost ran a red light, but she slammed on the brakes just in time. Sasuke thought he now had whiplash and glared over at the woman who ignored him.

"Sasuke is anti-social like usual. I'm not sure why I asked _him_ to come along. I guess he's the only guy I know and trust all that much..."

She let out a short and angry sigh. "I don't know why I trust him so much, I just do. He just seems like the type you can trust easily. I mean...he is so anti-social that you don't have to worry about him telling your secrets to other people."

The onyx glare remained fixed on the driver. "_No, I don't like him that way_!" Sakura swerved slightly, eyes widened. "I don't care what you think about us, okay? I need to go, I'll call you later, okay? Love you, too."

Once her cell phone was in the small cup holder between the passenger and driver seat, Sakura caught the glare. "What?" she snapped, returning it. "I was just telling the truth. You can't deny that you're unsociable."

"I can deny whatever I please," he mumbled. Sakura's face heated up after that comment. It was going to be a long car ride...

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It appeared that Sakura was in a state of shock. Her eyes were wide, hair disheveled, blank expression...and all because of what she had just done. She hadn't known it would be so complicated to drive through New York City. Their hotel hadn't been _in_ the bustling city, but she hadn't thought about going around it, she had just went straight through the middle of the city to get to where they needed to be. Cars flew, horns honked, pedestrians were everywhere. Sakura didn't know how to drive in such a busy city, but she had somehow made it through without wrecking or hurting anyone, but all the 'could-have-been' accidents had put her in a state of shock.

Seeing as Sakura was not exactly fit to carry her own bag into the hotel, Sasuke picked it up and went to the front desk to check in. He retreived the key to their room then found the pink-haired woman back to her normal self, eating some candy out of a glass bowl set out in the lobby.

The key was snatched away from the male and Sakura bounded ahead to the elevator. It was silent all the way until they got to their room. As Sakura used the key to unlock it, she sighed, "Well, this is it." And then the door swung open.

The scene did not fully process in Sakura's head when she first gazed around the small, yet very nice looking room, but it immediately registered for Sasuke. "_No_," he said sharply, shaking his head. There was only one large bed in the room, along with a television, minibar and then a bathroom attached to it. "There is no way we are sharing a bed."

"Okay, then, you can sleep on the floor."

With that, the woman bounced over to the bed and hopped onto it, sprawling out with a sigh. Sasuke also had a problem with that sleeping arrangement, though. "I am _not_ sleeping on the floor."

Turning her head to the side so that she was peering at him with sparkling jade eyes, she then said, "Then don't complain about it and share the bed with me. It's not like you haven't shared a bed with me before." She crossed her arms. "I really don't like you, but I'm not complaining. I want this to be an enjoyable trip. The bed is so big we can sleep so far away that it will be like we aren't even in the same bed. It will be _fine_."

For some reason, he caved in, and nodded. Her words were reassuring, and she _did_ have a point. It was either the bed or the floor, and he definitely wasn't going to sleep on a dirty carpet for a week and be uncomfortable while sleeping. No way.

The suitcases were placed at the end of the bed and he carefully climbed onto the matress, not wanting to get too close to Sakura, who ended up scooting over so that he could fit without them being close. As soon as he got situated on the soft piece of furniture, Sakura sprang up from the bed and made her way to the door. "I'm going to go to the lobby and ask where some good restaurants are around here."

It was only a minute after she left that Sasuke realized how terribly boring it was without her there. Everything that had seemed the slightest bit interesting when they had entered the room was now just plain and ordinary. Not even watching television sounded like fun at the moment.

Grumbling to himself, the man slid off the bed and headed out the door after the woman that had just left.

The elevator beeped as the golden doors opened up to reveal the lobby. "Should have taken the stairs," a fiery red-haired woman commented, eyeing Sakura as she exited. The female froze and turned to the woman, emerald orbs flashing dangerously as she said, "_Excuse me_? What is _that_ supposed to mean?"

"Oh, nothing," the woman replied with a smirk, pushing her black-rimmed glasses up her nose a bit. "It's just...no offense, but you could drop a few pounds."

The elevator beeped once again and Sasuke emerged, but stood to the side as he observed the scene unfolding before him. "And who are you to tell me that? I don't even know who you are."

"But I know you."

A tall, brown-haired man came up beside the stranger and slipped an arm around her waist. "Karin, honey, I thought you said you were going to the restroom."

Tilting her head, she smiled up at him adoringly. "I was, but then I ran into someone that I've heard so much about."

When the man scanned Sakura he frowned. They had used to be a couple and had started to get serious, but that was when Sakura had broke up with him. Placing her hands on her hips, Sakura stared him down. "What are you doing here?" she demanded to know, a sharp edge in her voice.

"Most likely for the same reason as you. Your cousin is marrying a good friend of mine."

_No._ No. That couldn't be. There was no way her ex-boyfriend was attending the wedding of her cousin. It wouldn't have been such a big deal if he was actually nice to Sakura these days, but after the breakup, he had turned into a complete and total jerk to her.

The woman named Karin that was standing beside him was smirking, and with a flip of her hair, she slid out of the grasp of her boyfriend and made her way to the bathroom. This left Sakura and her ex together, standing facing each other, Sasuke unnoticed by the two. The man named Choishi bent towards her slightly and lowered his voice. "I can't believe we are both staying here. I was hoping to not see the likes of you again."

"Same here," Sakura replied haughtily. "Why would I want to see a selfish bastard like you again?"

Choishi let out something that sounded similar to a laugh, but it was bitter. "And why would I want to see an emotionally unstable bitch like you again?" He quirked an eyebrow, a smirk playing across his features. "I've always hated your hair color, by the way. It's unnatural and distasteful."

"Wow," Sakura laughed, holding her hands up. "I'm am _so_ offended."

"It didn't look good on your mom either."

The words had left his mouth before Choishi could think about what he was saying. He might be cruel, but he usually didn't stoop as low as to degrade deceased loved ones. Tears started to collect in the corners of Sakura's emerald eyes and her face was a dark shade of pink from anger. "It did look good on her and you know it. My mother was a beautiful woman."

Choishi's cold facial expression softened somewhat as he felt a pang of guilt. "Sakura, I didn't...I didn't mean to say that..."

"Sure you didn't," she spat as Sasuke stepped up to them and wrapped an arm around Sakura's waist. He wasn't sure what had motivated him to do it, maybe it was the way Sakura seemed to be so weak in the situation, but he was determined to help her out. She was doing him a favor of getting him out of going to the reunion, after all. Sort of. He noted how the subject of her parents seemed to sadden her, it was a clear indication that something had happened to them.

Letting out a small gasp in surprise, Sakura glanced up at Sasuke who was peering down at her with mild concern, but she couldn't tell if it was genuine or not. Slowly, he turned his head to look at Choishi with an intense glare. "What exactly do you think you're doing?" he asked calmly, yet firmly with an edge to his deep voice. The brown-haired man blinked, startled, but did not answer. "Sakura's hair is beautiful, and she is beautiful just like her mother was." Shocked by what Sasuke was doing for her, Sakura almost pulled away, but restrained herself from doing so. It was somewhat flattering what he was saying, although it was fake. "You said you were hoping you didn't have to see her again, right? Well, you're in luck, because if you give her shit one more time I'll make sure you don't see _anything_ again."

"You talk big, but I doubt you would ever do such a thing," Choishi commented, turning and walking to the stairwell, where Karin was waiting for him to go up to their room.

Once the two were out of sight, the pink-haired woman jerked herself away from her companion and spun to face him. "You didn't have to defend me. I was handling it myself."

Sasuke raised his eyebrows. "You act tough, but you aren't. Sometimes you need help and you won't admit it." He started towards the front desk as she did, her eyes locked on the ground.

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Possibly some actual SasuSaku in the next chapter. I'm not entirely sure where it is going yet, with them being near NYC and all...please review!


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